Between soaring food prices and feed shortages, the war in Ukraine has rocked the EU’s agri-food sector and thrown an age-old issue back into the limelight: food security.
The Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green Deal, aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.
Looking at the future of agriculture in general, and the fertiliser industry in particular, the challenges of sustainable food production are apparent. Growing food demand will force farmers to invest in innovative tools to increase production, ensuring maximum efficiency from …
The European Union has put in place strict rules that govern food quality. The prestige this has created around the world has made the bloc competitive at the highest level. EURACTIV’s partner EFEAgro reports.
Safe food is a prerequisite for food security and paramount to the industry. The production, marketing and consumption of safe food are non-negotiable requirements that all partners along the food chain must adhere to, regardless of their place from farm to fork.
Despite record opposition among EU member states, European ministers failed to agree on Tuesday to ban a genetically-modified maize to be grown on EU soil. With 19 votes against, 4 abstentions and only 5 in favour, the disagreement will now leave in the hands of the European Commission whether to allow or not the insect-resistant maize for cultivation.
Director of the Emergency and Rehabilitation Division at FAO Dominique Burgeon told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview that South Sudan and Central Republic of Congo require urgent “international donor support”. Recent episodes of violence and looting in both countries have had a huge impact on 'the food security sector', forcing hundreds of people to abandon their homes. “The need of food assistance is huge', Burgeon said.
One year after the horse meat scandal broke across Europe, the European Parliament on Tuesday called for more inspections of food production chains and tougher penalties for companies that commit food fraud. The controversy began last year when DNA tests revealed that some products sold across Europe were labeled as beef but in fact contained up to 100% horsemeat.
Food security and food sustainability are key EU priorities in 2013. By the end of 2013, the European Commission is expected to follow up on its Resource Efficiency Roadmap with a Communication on Sustainable Food.
How can this new policy framework best integrate a long- term approach to food and the environmental, social and economic pillars of sustainability? What options are at our disposal in Europe?
Battered by criticism and widespread ridicule, the European Commission on Thursday (23 May) reversed its decision to ban refillable bottles of olive oil from restaurants. Europe's leading farm groups, however, swiftly denounced the change as a defeat for consumers.
In the wake of the horse meat scandal, the European Commission unveiled plans on Monday to impose bigger fines on food producers who commit fraud. The proposal comes after horse DNA was found in up to 5% of EU products labelled as beef, after the Commission carried out food tests across the continent.
The Commissioner for health and consumer affairs tells EURACTIV that the horsemeat scandal should be seen for what it is: a fraud rather than a flaw in the regulation. He favours introducing tougher penalties for such incidents, but believes food labelling should be kept as a separate issue.
As the horse meat scandal spreads across Europe, EU ministers will hold a snap meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss a Europe-wide response to the crisis.
